Shoe



M. B. BANKS July 17, 192s.

SHOE

med'uarch 'f'. 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 (Ttol-nega Patented Julyl 17, 192s.

UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

MARK BEAL BANKS, 0Fv KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SHOE.

Application med urcn 7, 192i'. seriai Naf 173,533.

This invention relates to shoes and more particularly to shoes adaptedfor use by per` sons whose occupations or pursuits tend to generaldiscomfort of the feet and breaking down ofthe arches thereof.

v One object of this invention is to provide a shoe that supportsthearch of the foot while at the same time affording extreme companyingdrawings wherein 'Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig.- 3 is a plan view of the blank for a stirrup-like arch supportshown 1n Figs. 1 and 2; f

Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view, with parts omitted, on the line4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the invention similar tothat shown in Figs. 1 and 2; y I

Fig.- 6 is a detail perspective view of another embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the constructionshown in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the blank for the vamp and stirrup-like archsupport shown in- Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designatelike parts throughout the several views, a shoe of the lowv quarter oroxford type is provided with a sole 5 made of leather, rubber, or otherdesired material to which is secured the vamp 6 and quarters 7 that arealso made of any desired material such as leather, canvas or the like(Figs. 1, 2 and 4). As herein shown, the sole 5 is made of crepe rubberand the vamp 6 and quarters 7 are made of canvas connected to a foxing 8and a grooved portion 9 on the edge of said sole.k The shoe ispreferably provided with an insole 10 of cork or other suitablematerial,

n said insole being secured on the inner face of the sole 5 in anydesired manner so as to overlap turned-in portions 11 and 12 of the vampand quarters respectively, that are received by and secured in thegroovel 9.

The vamp 6 may, if desired, be provided with a slit 13, and with areinforcing strip 14 of leather or the like secured to the vamp adjacentthe edges of said slit and carrying eyelets 15, 15 for a shoe-lace 16.The quarters 7 are preferably reinforced by a strip 17 of leather orother desired material which is sewed or otherwise suitably securedtosaid quarters. If the invention is embodied in a high shoe an upper 18(Fig. 5) will, in accordance with the general practice, be sewed on orformed integrally with the quarters 7, said upper preferably havingsewed or otherwise suitably fastened on each of its front edges a strip19 of 4leather or other desired material carrying eyelets for ashoe-lace 2() that serves to secure the upper about the ankle of thewearer of the shoe.

Extending intol the shoe from the upper thereof, is an arch supportingstirrup 21 or the like that is entirely free with respect tothe sole andwhich may be made integral with or separately from said upper asdeaired.v As herein shown, the stirrup 21 preferably extends into theShoe from the vamp and in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. l to 4,said stirrup is preferably made separately from the vamp in the form ofa leather blank such as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This blankcomprises, in addition to the stirrup 21, terminal portions 22, 22 thatare sewed or otherwise suitably secured at 23, 23 to the vamp 6,intermediate portions 24, 24, and terminal portions 25, 25 in the formof straps or the like. The terminal portions 22, 22 may, if desired, beformed on the vamp 6 or other part of the shoe extending above the sole5. In this case the stirrup proper, 21, would be sewed or otherwisesuitably secured to the portions 22, 22. When the shoe is placed on thefoot, the under, arched portion thereof is engaged with the arch supportor stirrup 21 and the free ends of the stirrup comprised by theintermediate portions 24, 24 and the terminal portions or straps 25, 25are th'en secured to the upper of the shoe as follows. The intermediateportions 24, 24, which are relatively wide to prevent the formation ofblisters o n the instep, are crossed over each other on the instepwhereupon the terminal portions or straps25, 25 are drawn throughbuckles 26, 26 until the arch and instep of the foot are embracedtightly enough by the stirrup to produce proper support for the archtherein. The straps 25, 25 are then connected through the medium ofsuitable openings therein, with the prongs of the buckles 26, 26 whichas herein shown are preferably Secured, as by stitches or the like, onthe quarters 7.

'I'he manner of securing the free ends of the stirrup to the shoe may,however, be varied in accordance with the type of shoe to which thestirrup is applied and the part of theI shoe with which said stirrup isconnected. If, for example, the stirrup is applied to the regular formof laced shoe, the lace thereof may be connected with the stirrup so asto draw the same tightly about the foot. This is illustrated in ldigs. 6to 8, wherein 29 indicates the sole of a shoe the upper of which iscomprised by the vamp 30 and quarters 31 both secured, as by stitching32, to the sole 29. In this case, the stirruplike arch support 33 isformed integrally with the vamp 30 and extends in the shoe freely of thesole, to receive the under, arched portion of the foot when the shoe 1splaced thereon. The stirrup is provided with strap-like portions 34adjacent ends of which are connected with the vamp 30 as shown in Fig.8, the opposite ends of sald portions being sewed together to form thestirrup proper 32, and the vamp and quarters then being seWed togetheras at 35 and secured to the sole 29 as before described. lThe fasteningmeans for the shoe consists of a shoe lace 36 that passes througheyelets 37 in the vamp and the stirrup and through eyelets 38 in thequarters 31. When the shoe is placed on the foot, the lace 36 is drawnthrough the eyelets 37 and 38, thereby drawing the stirrup intooperative position about the foot, whereupon the free ends of the laceare tied to secure the stirrup in its operative, arch supportingposition, and at the same time hold the shoe securely on the foot. Inany case, however, the stirrup 21 and the arch of the foot are disposedand properly supported respectively in the shoe independently of thesole thereof so that extreme freedom of action of the foot is obtainedwhen walking, running or jumpi while at the same time the formation oflisters or calloused places on the instep and arch of the foot isprevented, together with excessive friction between the sole of the shoeand the ball and heel of the foot. In order to further insure againstthe formation of blisters and calloused places on the foot, the vamp andthe-quarters may, if desired, terminate at opposite ends of the shank 27of the shoe as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, thereby providing ventilation inthe sides of the shoe adjacent the stirrup 21. In this case, if desired,strips 28, 28 or the like of leather, canvas, heavy elastic or othermaterial may be sewed or fastened in any suitable manner on the shoe soas to close the spaces at opposite sides' thereof.

From the foregoing it will appear that the present invention provides ashoe especially adapted for use by athletes, or by clerks, nurses orother persons, whose occupations require constant standing, walking orthe like. It will further appear that the present invention provides ahighly efficient and comfortable arch support especially adapted for lowquarter or oxford shoes but also applicable to the various forms of highshoes. While illustrative embodiments of the inventive idea have beendescribed in detail, the scope of the invention is not limited to suchembodiments, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe having a sole portion and an upper portion, and stirruplikemeans connected with said upper portion and extending in the shoe freeof said sole portion so as to engage an under part of the foot andsupport it in the shoe.

2. A shoe having an up er provided with stirrup-like means exten ing inthe shoe freely of the sole and engageable with an under portion of thefoot to support it in the shoe.

3. A shoe having a vamp provided with a stirrup-like support extendingin the shoeA freely of the sole and' engageable with the under, normallyarched portion of the foot to support it in the shoe.

4. The combination in a shoe, of an upper therefor having a stirrup-likesupport extending in the shoe freely of the sole and adapted to receivean under portion of the foot, and means for drawin and securing saidsupport in operative position about the foot when it is placed in theshoe.

5. The combination in a shoe, of a vamp therefor having a stirrup-likesupport extending in the shoe freely of the sole and adapted to receivethe under, arched portion of the foot, and `means for drawing andsecuring said 'support in operative position about the foot.

6. The combination Vin a shoe, of an upper therefor having a supportextending in the shoe freely of the sole, said' support receiving theunder, normally arched portion of the foot when the shoe is placedthereon and having portions adapted to be crossed over each other on theinstep and detachably connected with the shoe.

7. The combination in a shoe, of an upper therefor having a stirrupextending in the shoe freely of the sole and' receiving an under portionof the foot when the shoe is placed thereon, and fastening means on theshoe adapted to be connected with said stirrup so that the latter isheld in supporting engagement with the foot.

8. The combination in a shoe, of stirrupfel) like means connected withthe vamp of said shoe and extending therein freely of the sole toreceive an under portion of the foot when the shoe is placed thereon,und fastening` means on the shoe adapted to be-eonnected with saidstirrup-like means so that the lutter is held in supporting:yengugenient with the 'arch of the foot.

9. The Combination in L shoe, of :i stirrnplike support connected withthe upper of said shoe and kextending therein freely oi the sole toreceive an under portion of the foot when the shoe is placed thereon,fastening means on the shoe, and strap-like portions on the stirrupadapted to be connected With Said fastening means. y y

10. The combination in a shoe, of u. stirrup connected with the vanip ofsaid shoe and extending therein freely ot' the sole to receive un underportion of the foot when the shoe is placed thereon, buckles on thequarters of the shoe, and straps on seid stirrup adapted to be Crossedover each other on the instep and connected with said buckles.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

MARK BEAL BANKS.

